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Atheism by Mariano Atheism by Mariano Published: 11 June 2009(GMT+10) For many other articles on this topic, see Atheism, agnosticism and humanism: godless religions—Questions and Answers 1. Definition of “Atheism” There is confusion and debate about the term “atheism” and its definition. Table of contents 1. Definition of “Atheism” The term “atheism” finds its etymology in the Greek combination of “a” and “theos”. What “atheos” 1.1 Variations of Atheism means is, as with any term, subject to context (and perhaps personal interpretation). Note that if 2. Atheism as nature worship or an atheist states, “I do not believe in God”, this is technically not a statement about God’s neo-paganism existence or lack thereof. Does atheos mean “no God”, “without God”, “lack God belief” or “God 2.1 Atheist religion does not exist”? 3. Why Atheism is chosen 3.1 Natural born Atheist Early Christians were referred to as “atheists” because they did not believe in the Greek or Roman 4. Atheism and ethics/morality gods. Yet, while they positively affirmed the non-existence of those gods they likely believed that 4.1 Atheism and the “problem of evil” those gods were deceptive demons whom they did believe existed (1 Corinthians 8:4–6). 4.2 Atheism and the “Euthyphro Dilemma” Let us consider other Greek-derived “a” words: 4.3 Atheism’s “problem of evil” 4.4 Atheism’s Euthyphro Dilemma “Amusement”—no, without, or lack of musing, but does this mean 4.5 Theism’s reward and that musing does not exist, that the person is merely not musing punishment versus Atheism’s pure at the moment, that there is merely no musing upon a particular motives topic, etc.? 5. Religion as child abuse “Agnostic”—no, without, or lack of gnosis (knowledge), but does 6. Atheism’s arguments against this mean that knowledge does not exist, or merely that none theism, or Atheism’s “atheology” exists with regards to a particular topic, or merely that it may exist 6.1 Who made God? but we lack it? 7. Arguments for God’s existence Generally, as popularized by the New Atheist movement, atheists 7.1 Forms of the cosmological argument prefer the definition of “atheism” as “lacking belief in god(s)”. Thus, 7.2 Argument from cosmological by applying the term “atheist” to themselves, such atheists are not natural theology technically making a statement about God’s existence or lack 7.3 Forms of the teleological argument thereof. 7.4 Forms of the ontological argument This definition has been popularized, at least, since Charles 7.5 Forms of the moral law In atheism, when we die we end up Bradlaugh (circa 1876). It appears to be preferred so as to escape argument as mere fertilizer; plant food. Human 7.6 Dostoevsky’s argument from the life has no particular meaning or the philosophic difficulty of proving a negative—God does not exist consequences of positive Atheism purpose and there is no real basis for —and in order to shift the burden of proof to the theist, since the 7.7 The argument from religious ethics, love or even logical thought. theist is making the positive affirmation that God exists. need Atheism provides no footing for a just, 7.8 The argument from joy caring and secure society. On a polemical note there are two things to consider: 7.9 Ronald Nash’s argument from numbers 1. Meeting atheists on their own ground: if they want to define atheism as a mere lack of God 8. Atheism and science belief, grant it and continue the discussion. 8.1 Atheism and miracles 2. Making them see whence their position comes and where it leads. 8.2 Origins 9. Atheism in the public school In reference to the above mentioned term “agnostic”, note that Thomas Henry Huxley coined this classrooms 1 term in 1869. He explained that he noted two extremes: one was the atheist who positively 10. Atheism as “scientific” story affirmed God’s non-existence (claiming to know that God did not exist) and the other was the telling theists who positively affirmed God’s existence (claiming to know that God exists). Huxley said that 11. Atheism and physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and societal he did not posses enough evidence to affirm positively either position. Thus, he coined a term which health he saw as a middle position, which was that of lacking knowledge to decide either way (whether 11.1 Atheism and charity such knowledge actually exists outside of his personal knowledge or may someday be discovered is 11.2 Atheism and suicide 11.3 Atheism and adult mortality another issue). 11.4 Cause of death 11.5 Attitudes towards abortion As we will see next, there are various sects of atheism. There is a vast difference between the 11.6 Christmas and happiness friendly atheist next door and the activists. Generally, even the activist types who are typified by 11.7 Atheism and superstition the New Atheist movement will define “atheism” as a mere lack of belief in God. However, it is 11.8 Society 11.9 Atheism, abstinence and STDs important to note that their activism demonstrates that their atheism is anything but mere lack: it 11.10 Incarceration is an anti-“religion”, anti-“faith” and anti-“God” movement. 11.11 Atheism, marriage and divorce 1.1 Variations of Atheism 12. Atheism and Communism Atheists may be categorized under various technical terms as well as sociopolitical and cultural 13. G. K. Chesterton’s Conclusion ones, which may overlap depending on the individual atheist’s preferences: References Strong atheism, positive atheism, explicit atheism or critical atheism: generally refers to those who positively affirm God’s non-existence. Some contemporaneous atheists, perhaps influenced by the deleterious effects of the New Atheist movement, actually think that this definition of atheism is a hoax concocted by theists in order to make atheists appear foolish. Yet, this is a traditional definition and one found in various dictionaries, encyclopedias, philosophical textbooks.2 Weak atheism, negative atheism or implicit atheism: generally refers to those who would claim merely to lack a God belief. They would generally claim that they do not believe in God because God’s existence has not been proven (or evidenced). It may or may not be in the future. This sect is similar to agnosticism. Militant atheism or antitheism: generally refers to atheists who consider belief in God as dangerous superstitious ignorance and seek to abolish it or, at the very least, remove it from the public sphere (public meaning from politics, culture at large, etc.). Some atheists claim that atheism is a religion3 and others have attempted to establish secular/civic/atheistic religions which we will elucidate below. Michael Shermer, editor of The Skeptic magazine, draws a distinction between the atheist who claims, “there is no God” and the non- theist who claims to have “no belief in God”.4 As to the sociopolitical and/or cultural terms, these abound and some are: Brights, Freethinkers, Humanists, Naturalists, Rationalists, Skeptics, Secular Humanists and Materialists. Some atheists squabble about terminology. For example, “American Atheists” webmaster wrote, “Atheists are NOT ‘secular humanists’, ‘freethinkers’, ‘rationalists’ or ‘ethical culturalists’ … Often, people who are Atheists find it useful to masquerade behind such labels”5 while the “Freedom from Religion Foundation”, claims that, “Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists”.6 Return to top 2 Atheism as nature worship or neo-paganism By “nature worship” and “neo-paganism” I refer to the atheist’s tendency to replace a sense of awe of God and seeking transcendence by relating to God with seeking awe and transcendence in nature. This natural high, as it were, is not merely enjoyed but it is enjoined and said to be holier than theism. Referring to our ability to “step off the Earth and look back at ourselves,” as was done in Voyager 2, Carl Sagan stated, “I find that a chilling, spine-tingling, exciting, perspective-raising, consciousness-raising experience. It’s said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience.”7 The very first episode of his televised series entitled Cosmos, began with Carl Sagan stating, “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us—there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as of a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.” Presupposing a God-free reality, why atheists seek transcendent experiences remains unanswered. Michael Shermer stated that his study of evolution was, “far more enlightening and transcendent, spiritual, than anything I had experienced in seven years of being a born again Christian.”8 Michael Shermer made reference to “the spiritual side of science”, which he referred to as “sciensuality”: “If religion and spirituality are supposed to generate awe and humility in the fact of the creator, what could be more awesome and humbling than the deep space discovered by Hubble and the cosmologists and the deep time discovered by Darwin and the evolutionists? Darwin matters because evolution matters. Evolution matters because science matters. And Science matters because it is the preeminent story of our age, an epic saga about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.”9 Michael Ruse; philosophy professor (University of Guelph), ardent evolutionist and professedly an ex-Christian who has argued for the ACLU against the “balanced treatment” (of creation and evolution in schools) bill in the USA, wrote: “Evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion—a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, with meaning and morality … This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today… As a social reformer therefore, Huxley, known in the papers as ‘Pope Huxley’, was determined to find a substitute for Christianity.
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